Motor vehicle



Mar. 6, 1923. 1,447,728

M. KRZEWINSKI MOTOR VEHICLE Filed Mar. 24, 1921 4 sheets-sheet 1 MM o/afKrzew/hskf v INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYIS.

M. KRZEWINSKI MOTOR VEHICLE Mar. 6, 1923. 1,447,728

Filed Mar. 24, 1921 4 sheets-sheet 2 I N V EN TOR.

M/X OQ/ knzew/hs/(i A i A TTORNEYS M. KRZEWINSKI MOTOR VEHICLE 4sheets-sheet 5 Filed Mar.

y K TZe wmsk/r' NVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS] Mar. 6, 1923.. 1,447,728

M. KRZEWINSKI MOTOR VEHICLE Filed MarJZ i, 1921 4 sheets-sheet 4 V INVEN TOR.

' A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 6, 1923.

UNITED STATES sar -Lures mom xaznwmsxr, or LOS mourns, cmroam MOTORVEHICLE.

Application file d March 24,1921. Serial No. 455,197.

To all whomht may concern:

Be it known that I, MIKOLAJ Knznwmsm, a citizen of the United States,residing at LosAngeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Motor Vehicles,of which the following is a. specification. I

This invention is a motor vehicle protrailer structure is adapted to belocked withrelation to the main vehicle so that its steerin apparatusbecomes inoperative when the ve 'cle is moving forward, and is also soarranged as to cause the trailer structure to be steered by its steeringmechanism when backin the device.

The invention will be readily understood from the following descriptionof the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of avehicle construction in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line' 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing a different type of body mounted uponthe trailer structure.

Fig. 6 is an elevation, partly in longitudinal section, of one of thelinks provided for adjusting the length of the trailer structure.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a detail section on the line 88 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the steering mechanism for the vehicle.

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section on the line 1010 of Fig. 9.

Figs. 11 and 12 are detail sections on the lines 1111 and -1212 of Fig.9.

The device comprises a main vehicle frame 1 having front steering wheels2 which also vided with rear wheels 7 and supports a form drive wheels.The engine of the vehlcle 1s mounted. beneath usual hood 3 at the frontof the vehicle frame, and a' usualt drive is provided between the engineand the front steering wheels, said drive mechanism being shown ascontained within casmg 5. rear axle 6 is provided for the main vehicleframe, and said axle is protransverse frame 8 upon usual springs 9. Abody of any desired design, such as shown at 10-, 1s mounted upon themain vehicle frame, and a usual steering column 11 is provided adjacentthe drivers seat 12 for controlling the front steering wheels in usualmanner. r

The trailer structure connected to the main vehicle frame includes rearwheels 13 mounted upon steering knuckles 14 connected to a rear axle 15in usual manner. Th1s rear axle carries a transverse spring .16, andreach rods 17 extend forwardly from the axle 15 and terminate in abearing member 18. This bearing member is adjustably and detachablyconnected to the transverse frame 8 of the main vehicle frame.

For-- this purpose a. rod 20 is threaded through'bearing 18 and into abearing 21 with a lock nut 22 threaded upon said rod 5 between thebearings 18 and 21 in order to lock rod 20 in longitudinally adjustedposition with relation to hearing 18 and the supporting axle and wheelsof-the trailer structure. The bearing '21 terminates in a for wardlyprojecting forked member 23 resting upon the transverse frame 8 andcarrying the plate 24:. I

The trailer structure is pivotally connected with relation t the mainvehicle frame by means of a shaft 26 extending upwardly from transverseframe 8 through the plate 241 This pivotal connection may be locked soas to secure the trailer structure rigidly to the main vehicle frame.For this purpose a column 28 is received over shaft 26, and a brake nut30 is adapted to be threaded down onto the end of the shaft so as toforce sleeve 28 downwardly and thereby clamp pivot plate 24 and theforked bearing secured to the same with relation totransverse frame 8. a

The steering of the wheels 13 is accomplished through links 32 connectedto the respective steering knuckles 14 and secured at their oppositeends to levers 33 pivoted to and extending laterally from bearing of therespective racks is journaled upon' shaft 26 and is fixed for rotationwith sleeve 28.

When the vehicle is moving forward, the

steerin mechanism for rear wheels 13 is prefera 1y locked by clampingsleeve 28 to transverse frame 8, as previously described,

sothat rotation of said sleeve, in order to actuate racks and thereboperate the connections to steering knuc cs 14, is prevented. 1

The nut 30 is preferably actuated through a double pawl and ratchetmechanism includin ratchet teeth '38 upon the nut, and a dou le pawl 39.engaging-the same and operated by a handle 40 preferably pivoted to thepawl. When sleeve 28 is unclamped so that the rear steering wheels maybe operated, as in backing the vehicle, the sleeve is preferably rotatedby a double pawl and ratchet mechanism includinga ratchet wheel 41 uponthe sleeve operated y a double pawl 42 provided with a pivot handle 43.

- In order that the trailer structure, as thus described, may bereadily-detached when it is desired to use only the main vehicle, thelinks 34 preferably include detachable members comprising threaded rodends 45 re- 1 ceiving co-operatin rod end sections 46. It

will thus be seen t at by disconnecting the links 34 and alsodisconnecting rod 20 from the bearing 21 that the main vehicle forms acomplete structure without the trailer mechanism.

It will be noted that rod 20 is made relatively long so that the trailerstructure may be lengthened as desired, and in order tomaintain thesteering connections provided by links 34 when the trailer is thuselongated, rods provided with threaded ends 51 and with threaded socketends 52 are preferably arranged to be interposed in the lengths of links34 as by attaching the ends of said rods to the socket ends 46 and thethreaded ends 45 of the link members respectively. i

It will be noted that the auxiliary steering column provided upontransverse frame 8 is so positioned with relation to the body 10 uponthe main vehicle frame, that said aux? iliary steering device will bepositioned within the body 10 adjacent the steering column 11 andtherefore convenient to the drive of the machine.

It will be understood that various types of bodies may be mounted uponthe trailer structure, and said bodies are adapted to be readilyinterchanged. For this purpose either a freight carrying body 55, suchas shown in Fig. 5, or a passenger body 56,

such as shown in Fig. 1, may be mounted upon the trailer structure.

The body is detachably mounted upon the trailer structure by providing ausual attaching clip 57 upon rear spring 16 and engaging the base 58 ofwhichever body is positioned upon the trailer. The front portionof base58 of the body upon the trailer 1s referabl secured to hearing member 18as by providing the latter with a bolt 60 extending through base 58 witha usual retaining nut 61 upon said bolt. 7

It will be noted that the structure, as thus set :forth provides adevice in which either the main vehicle may be employed alone, or saidmain vehicle may have a trailer structure of adjustable length securedthereto with various interchangeable bodies mounted upon the trailerstructure. The device also provides for either independent steering ofthe wheels of the trailer structure, or for locking the trailerstructure rigidly with relation to the main vehicle so that steering maybe accomplished only th-roughthe front steering and driving' Wheels ofthe main vehicle. It will also be observed that the improvedconstruction provides for pivotal movement of the entire.

'including lubricating pipes arranged beneath the transverse plate 8 andcommunieating with the bearings for the respective wheels 7 Theselubricating pipes unite in a T 71 which preferably communicates with thehollow interior 72 of shaft 26 which thus forms a reservoir for thelubricant. It will beunderstood that, if desired, other supply pipes forthe lubricant may extend from T 71 to other points upon the devicewhichit is desired to lubricate.

Various cha s may be made without departing from t e spirit of theinvention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A motor vehicle having a trailer, means for adjusting the length ofsaid trailer, said trailer including wheels mounted for steering, asteering column arranged upon said vehicle and having link connectionwith said trailer steering wheels, and means for adjusting the length ofsaid link connection.

2. A motor vehicle having a trailer, said trailer including wheels ing,a steering column upon said vehicle having steering and pivotingconnection with said trailer steering wheels, and means on said columnfor locking said connection and said trailer steering wheels againststeering movement.

mounted for steer" ean-mea 3. A motor vehicle having a trailer, andtrailer including a hollow shaft extending a pivotal and steeringconnection between upwardly from said vehicle and 'ournale'd saidvehicle and trailer, including 'a shaft in a hearing at the forward onof said extending upwardly from said vehicle and trailer, said hollowshaft forming a lubri- 5 journaled in a hearing at the forward endofcant reservoir, and connections from said 5 said trailer, a pinion onsaid bearing, racks reservoir to the bearings of said vehicle. engagingsaid pinion, and links connecting In twtimony whereof'I have signed mysaid racks and the trailer wheels. name to this specification.

4. A motor vehicle having a trailer, a piv- 10 otal connection betweensaid vehicle and 7 KO KRZEWINSKI.

